


Memories of the Fallen

by JacksPen



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Final Haikyuu Quest, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Summaries, Not Beta Read, probably full of grammar issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-04
Updated: 2015-11-04
Packaged: 2018-04-30 00:27:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5143592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JacksPen/pseuds/JacksPen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Demon King is defeated and killed, his generals are sentenced to death. These are the stories of those whose lives had been intertwined with the Demon King or his generals.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Memories of the Fallen

Saeko was in her kitchen when the news came in. The messenger was expecting an outburst, a berserker rage or something similar from the woman known as “The Dragon”. But nothing was thrown. Everything stayed intact, and the elderly woman hadn’t even blinked at the news.

Lifting her cup, Saeko merely said, “I guess she’ll be executed then?”

So when it was announced that Shimizu Kiyoko was to be executed for high treason- well Saeko wasn’t surprised.

It wasn’t as though she hated the girl, oh no. Their relationship was too deep, to personal for simple hatred. She just had no tears to shed for the woman to be killed.

Saeko had cried for the little girl with the inquisitive mind.

She had cried for the bright student who had a great path ahead of her.

She had cried for the young woman who went down the wrong path.

She had cried for her sons that followed her.

Simply put, Saeko had no tears left to shed for the witch.

 

 

* * *

Before the execution was to be held, the Kingdom of Karasuno required to obtain as much information as they could. After all, Karasuno and Seijou may not have been on friendly terms, but they were also not enemies. And to that end, Queen Michimiya allowed for the most brutal interrogation technique to be used on the traitor. Which meant that Saeko was to see the witch that had ruined her life.

_The day that Shimizu had left had been a sunny one. Shimizu was nearly done with her studies, and Saeko needed to put her pupil to the test. So when a band of idiots came to their home in search of magical assistance, Saeko had entrusted them to Shimizu._

__

_(If she could go back in time she would fry those assholes on the spot)._

__

_The group needed a way through Seijou’s magical barriers, the same ones that locked so many people in the country. But when asked why they would go the hellhole that was Seijou, the pretty boy and the knight merely stayed silent._

__

_So when Shimizu refused, the boy with the smirk had insulted her magical skill. Had said that any mage worth their mettle would be able to easily take down those barriers._

__

_That pushed Shimizu into helping them once._

__

_When the barrier was down, monsters flew out of the wall. Shimizu would have probably died if it weren’t for the knight._

__

_That left Shimizu feeling as though she owed them._

__

_Finally when Shimizu was to return home, the pretty boy finally gave his reason for breaking into Seijou._

__

_“I am Prince Oikawa Tooru, of the Oikawa lineage,” the boy spoke, “I wish to reclaim the land of Seijou in order to end the suffering of its people.”  The boy spoke of justice and chivalry, such romantic concepts that Shimizu couldn’t have helped but be moved by them._

__

_The cry of her people gave Shimizu a reason._

__

_The sneak, the killer, and the liar. Such disastrous people to keep company with, but Shimizu went down to road to damnation with them with a smile on her face._

__

* * *

 

 

Saeko was forced to dress professionally for the interrogation. She was not allowed her comfortable pants, her form fitting clothes, or to show her awesome tattoos. Instead, she had to wear the standard issue robe that felt awkward and stifling on her. Saeko tugged and wriggled in her robe, but she could not make it any less stuffy.

‘If only Aki weren’t mad at me,’ Saeko thought to herself. ‘He would have been able to make this bearable.’

Saeko picked up the wooden box on her nightstand. Rubbing the dust off of the top, she opened the box to reveal a wooden wand. Carefully, Saeko took the wand and readied herself for the interrogation.  Walking out the door, she turned to face her Akiteru, who just stared as his wife stepped out of the house.

 

The face he gave her was of pure disappointment.

 

* * *

_Shimizu’s face screamed of guilt whenever she first came back home. Her party had been traveling together for four years, and for those four years Saeko worried herself sick everyday. Shimizu had come back different, however. She was taller, but quieter. More assertive, yet more likely to fade into the background. She smelled slightly of chaos magic, but she was alive. And ultimately that was the only thing Saeko cared about._

__

_So when she disappeared in a week with all of Saeko’s book on chaos magic. Well, that was the second time Saeko cried for Shimizu._

 

* * *

Saeko’s boots clacked loudly on the harsh marble floor. Usually Saeko would love the sound that her boots would make. The strong echoes that made her feel powerful by merely taking a step. But today it was merely an annoyance. A dull noise that pierced Saeko’s eardrums with every step she took.

‘Clack- clack-clack’

Saeko had half a mind to tear the damn things off if it didn’t mean having to do the whole procedure over again due to her wardrobe.

 

* * *

 

_The next time Saeko saw Shimizu, her student had grown into a beautiful young woman. But she was not only beautiful, but also very powerful. Shimizu and her friends had completed what was thought to be impossible and defeated the entire Kageyama line._

__

_And again Kiyoko felt different. But this time she was back, and she was back for good. Saeko had hugged the hell out of her when she had came back, and Ryuu and Yuu were just as excited to see their big sister return._

 

* * *

 

When Saeko made it near the cell, she herself was interrogated by the wardens officers. The two men grabbed Saeko and shoved her onto a chair.

“What do you plan on doing to the prisoner?”

“Just the spells that were requested of me.”

“Do you swear on your magic that you will reveal all your findings?”

“I solemnly swear on my magic that I will reveal anything I find important.”

“Would you wish to give the prisoner freedom?”

“No.”

“Do you wish to kill her.”

 

* * *

 

_Shimizu’s year back home was marked by Saeko’s sparse sightings of her student. The woman would lock herself in her room for days on end, and when she came out she had her nose in a book and reeked of corruption. Saeko knew that she should have been suspicious, but she wanted to trust in her student. To trust in her family. And if that meant strengthening wards or purifying the entire fucking house, then she would do it._

__

* * *

 

 

When Saeko entered the door she couldn’t believe her eyes.

Hair clumped together with blood. Scars covering her body. The smell of her own waste drowning out anything else. And worst of all the horns. The horns and tail that were the telltale sign of demonhood. The Shimizu in front of her was pathetic.

* * *

 

 

_There had been a storm on the day Saeko so lovingly calls, “The day my life went to shit”. She had been busy with a project from an anonymous source. They had specified a cage capable of capturing humans, but also being able to travel easily. So Saeko worked for weeks on a cage that could do both while Shimizu (who smelled less and less like corruption as the days went by) took care of the boys._

__

_“Bingo! I finally finished this son of a bitch!” Ecstatic at her accomplishment, Saeko burst through the door of her lab into the house._

__

_“Shimizu! Ryuu! Yuu! I just finished something fucking amazing! Come downstairs and see it!”_

__

_There was no response._

__

_Still running on her high, Saeko called again, “Hey guys I just finished something super awesome! Come down and see it!”_

__

_Again no response._

__

_Frustrated at the lack of activity in the house, Saeko climbed up the stairs before yelling again._

__

_“Can’t you guys hear me? I just-” Saeko’s call was cut off my the worst smell Saeko had ever had the knowledge of smelling. It was like the awful pungent smell of corruption, but some much worse. It was like the difference between what a trash can and a landfill smell like._

__

_Saeko quickly sprinted towards the smell._

__

_‘If something this corrupted is in the house, then I need to get rid of it fast.’_

__

_Then came the bloodcurdling scream._

__

_‘YUU!’_

__

_Blasting the door off it’s hinges, Saeko readied her most deadly spells to use. But then she sees the room. The potions and elixirs all over. The ingredients she had been missing. But most importantly, what had become of her family._

__

_The boy were a deathly white, thrashing in pain as their souls were forcibly changed. She could see the bones forming on their heads, their bodies starting to change into that of demons. And at the helm of it all was Shimizu. Shimizu with her full set of horns and demonic tail. Shimizu had no longer reeked of chaos magic because she had become its master, a demon. And now she was doing the same to Saeko’s sons._

__

_And then Saeko saw red._

 

* * *

 

 

“You no longer have any rights as a human being. Your sentence has already been decided, and your execution is scheduled right after this procedure. What you will now experience will be the single most unpleasant feeling in the world as I force you to relive every moment of your life.”

At the end of Saeko’s explanation Shimizu raised her head. Her dead eyes met Saeko’s exhausted ones.

“I-I’m sorry.”

Saeko smiled, “I don’t believe you.”

Saeko then jammed her hand into Shimizu’s head, making sure that her magic touched every memory. And when the spell finished searching the memories, it then copied the memories into Saeko. Almost immediately tiny glimpses of Shimizu's memories became visible to Saeko.

* * *

 

 

_“As if a two bit mage like you could do anything.” - Anger_

_“I think we’re doing pretty well.”- Annoyance_

_“Please don’t leave me.” - Fear_

_“We only have enough for one-” - Hunger_

_“This was my hometown.” - Rage_

_“I would do anything for him.” - Respect_

_“Kill them!” - Terror_

_“We need that book.” - Apprehension_

_“I’m so glad you’re home.”- Guilt_

_“I believe you.” - Faith_

_“ We won’t let you go through it alone.” - Solidarity_

_“I’m fine.” - Pain_

_“We did it.” - Elation_

_“I’m home.” - Guilt_

_“What’s happening to me!” -Fear_

_“Are these...horns?” - Pain_

_“I need you to get these for me.” - Conflicted_

_“We trust you Kiyoko-nee.” - Guilt_

_“ONEE-CHAN!”  - Pain_

_“Get out.” - Terror_

_“You too?” - Regret_

_“We need to stop these riots.” - Regret_

_“This power is the only way to help, but it’ll-” - Resignation_

_“We serve only you Kiyoko-san.” -Guilt_

_“Pigs!” - Fury_

_“You’re not yourselves!” - Betrayal_

_“We will do anything necessary.” - Agreement_

_“We will die before we-” - Guilt_

_“Our home.” - Love_

_“Hitoka.” -Love_

_“We gladly give our lives for you Kiyoko-sa..” - Agony_

__

_Sorrow._

* * *

 

 

Everyone is gone by the time Saeko wakes up. The memories she had taken are no longer in her hand, and the witch is no longer in front of her. Slowly, Saeko gets up and leaves the prison.

Clack-clack-clack

With a scream of frustration, Saeko rips the boots of her feet and throws them at the wall. Leaving them behind as she finishes following through with the witch.

The execution is a simple hanging, but the amount of people who showed up is alarming. The ones who suffered at the hands of Seijou had mostly been other people from Seijou. So the fact that these people who had nothing to do with the case were here began to bother Saeko.

“We hereby present to you one of the Demon King’s three generals, the witch herself, Shimizu Kiyoko!”

The way that the executioner had announced Shimizu bothered Saeko even more. ‘Why are they treating this like an event. Someone is going to die, can’t they respect that!’

“And her sentence for treason, murder, and terrorism...is death!”

The crowd begins to cheer and Saeko can no longer bare to watch. The entire courtyard has high quality magic negating runes, but maybe Saeko could run to-

And Shimizu Kiyoko drops.

* * *

 

 

_“Miss Saeko, Miss Saeko!”_

__

_Saeko looked away from her book as she bent down to make eye contact with the little girl in front of her._

__

_“Yes Kiyoko-chan?”_

__

_Kiyoko beamed as she held out her hands. Curious to see what Kiyoko could be so proud of, Saeko nearly missed the small pile of ash on her hands._

__

_“Did you cast a fire spell Kiyoko-chan?”_

__

_Kiyoko’s smile grows even bigger as she begins to recount how she was able to cast a flame._

 

* * *

 

Shimizu Kiyoko stills, her body no longer functioning as she hangs limply. The wind pushing her body as if it were nothing. And finally, Tanaka Saeko allowed herself to cry one last time.

* * *

 

 

S _aeko had just finished her apprenticeship with Takeda-sensei and was looking for a new line of work. She wanted to find something bold and exciting, something that would leave her with no regrets when she spent her life dedicated to it._

__

_As Saeko is walking she passes by a young girl in the street. The girl barely reaches Saeko’s knees, but she followed Saeko step by step until Saeko noticed her little follower. Stopping suddenly, the little girl crashed into Saeko._

__

_Squatting down to the girl’s height, Saeko introduced herself._

__

_“Hello, my name is Tanaka Saeko, but you can just call me Saeko. I’m 25 years old, I love the color purple and I just finished my apprenticeship.”_

__

_The little girl shyly looked at Saeko, not saying a word._

__

_“Well, even though it’s rude not to respond, I don’t really mind. But I do want to know why you’ve been following me.”_

__

_The little girl looked down at her barefeet, trying to hide her face with her hair before uttering an inaudible whisper._

__

_Saeko put a hand against her ear, “Ha? What was that? You have to know that I’m an old woman already and need help hearing.”_

__

_The little girl flushed at whispered again._

__

_“Ha? What was that? Your name is Salmon? That’s not a name, that’s a fish!”_

__

_The little girl turned a deeper shade of red as she spoke a little louder._

__

_“Ha? You think my hair is pretty? Why thank you Ms. Salmon.”_

__

_The girl began to smile as she tried to speak a little louder._

__

_“Ha? Why yes Ms. Salmon, I do think you’re very pretty. But I don’t know what dinosaurs have to do with that.”_

__

_The little girl began chuckling, which set Saeko off. The Tanaka family is not known for being subtle, and it anything can prove that it’s their loud horse laughs._

__

_Soon enough the little girl began laughing louder at Saeko’s laugh, which in turn made Saeko laugh even harder. The cycle continued until half the market assumed that the two girls were crazy._

__

_Once their laughter died down, the little girl spoke in that quiet voice of hers. “Are you really a mage?”_

__

_Saeko immediately started bragging, “Sure am! I just finished my apprenticeship and am now a full fledged magic practitioner!”  And to show that she was not lying, Saeko created a small flame in her hand._

__

_The little girl stared in awe at Saeko’s trick. “I wish I could be a mage.”_

__

_And Saeko didn’t even need to think twice before saying, “Well how would you like to become my student?”_

__

_The little girl suddenly burst with excitement. She began talking a mile a minute, with little no breaths in between, the words blended together so quickly that Saeko couldn’t make out any words._

__

_Placing her hand on the girl’s shoulder, Saeko calmed the girl down before grinning._

__

_“Well now that I have your attention, would you please like to give me your name Salmon-chan? I can’t teach someone without knowing their name.”_

__

_The little girl smiled at Saeko and spoke confidently._

__

_“My name is Shimizu Kiyoko. I’m eight years old and I would like to become your student.”_

__

_And with a grin Saeko accepted Kiyoko._

__

_“Welcome to the family Kiyoko-chan.”_

__

**Author's Note:**

> I actually had a whole universe set up for Final Haikyuu Quest, but all of that changed when this fic was thought of. I hope I can do it justice.
> 
> Any grammar issues will be happily edited if I am told of them. And I would love any criticisms/questions on the piece or the universe it takes place in.


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